Lee v. United States
Case Details
- Case No.: 16-327
- Jurisdiction: United States Supreme Court
Key Topics in the Case
Documents
Prior Decision
Decision below 825 F.3d 311 (6th Cir. June 8, 2016).
Courts are improperly positioned to assess whether the decision to go to trial is rational. Rejecting a plea bargain is rational because it might lead to more favorable outcomes. The decision to invoke his right to trial grants a noncitizen defendant the chance to avoid deportation, and that chance in itself makes declining a plea bargain rational. "Funny things happen" at trial. Presuming that defense counsel will use strategy as a guise for incompetence offends the ethical standards defense attorneys are bound to uphold.
Author(s)
Jeffrey T. Green and Lindsay N. Walter, Sidley Austin LLP, Washington, DC; Barbara E. Bergman, NACDL, Washington, DC; Sarah O'Rourke Schrup, Northwestern University Supreme Court Practicum, Chicago, IL.
